Reign of Fire: A New Beginning
by Dinohunter55
Summary: Benjamin's life is uprooted when dragons start appearing in London. When seeing the bull for the first time, he is left changed in ways he never thought possible, viewing the world through new eyes but will it cost him his humanity.
1. Dragons

Reign of Fire: A New Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Reign of Fire.

Chapter 1: Dragons

Benjamin Silverman sat gazing out an open window at the sky, the soft grey clouds drifting in the wind, the white smoke rising upward from the chimneys, and the soft light bathing the city. The soft rustling of leaves and cooing pigeons filled the air. The smell of the exhaust from the busses filling the air until he could taste it as the class went on.

Soon his attention turned back to his work and quickly finished the last two math problems in the assignment. Benjamin quietly closed his books and stretched out in his desk. He sighed as the final bell rang. Slowly he walked though the crowded halls to his locker and pulled a note off it, throwing it to the ground.

"Don't let it bother you," a student said.

"Oh…hi Quinn, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah see you tomorrow, bye." Quinn replied before disappearing into the crowd.

"Thirty one… twelve… nineteen…" He mumbled to himself and heard the click of his lock. Gradually he opened the door and grabbed his backpack, quickly stuffing tomorrow's homework in. Quickly Benjamin closed the locker and before long exited the school. Benjamin slowly walked past the busses and turned off to Oakley Street.

"Where do you think your going?" A soft female voice asked from behind.

"I've decided to walk home today Sara," Benjamin said and turn to face her, "My mum won't be home till eight o'clock today, she's working late again."

"Oh, would you mind walking me home then?" She asked softly, moving her long blond hair to reveal her deep green eyes. "A _lady_ shouldn't walk home alone."

Benjamin rolled his eyes and laughed slightly, "Yeah… I guess I could." He then noticed one of the teachers handing Quinn a paper. "Do you think Quinn's in trouble?"

Sara looked at Quinn then back to Benjamin, "No, I don't think so," she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards Oakley Street.

Slowly the two made their way down the crowded, car lined street as they headed towards Albert Bridge. Horns blasted as people tried to get down the busy road. Though it was not rush hour, the traffic was still bad. Houses lined both sides of the street up until the last block where several stores replaced the homes.

"So… you have any trouble today?" Sara asked in a soothing tone.

Benjamin slowly nodded. "Not as bad as yesterday though."

"They didn't try and hang you from the flag pole again…did they?" She asked with a low, almost saddened tone.

"No," he sighed, "just a note on my locker."

"Ok, that not to bad." Sara sighed with relief. "Why do they pick on you anyway?"

"I don't know… this happens to me at every school I've been to. I hope it ends soon, I'm tired of it."

"It's not so easy being an exchange student is it." Sara said and pushed a crosswalk button.

"I've been here for six months now but people still treat me as a new guy."

"Well at least you made some friends in the school."

"You and Quinn are my only friends," Benjamin sighed and looked down.

"Oh you'll make more, it just takes time." She said and placed her hand on his shoulder. "We better hurry; the light is going to change."

Soon they reached the bridge and quickly crossed. The murky waters below, reflecting the little light reaching it, was alive with traffic. Horns blasted from the boats. The heavy smell of smoke filled the air. Before long, they reached the other side and turned eastward.

Benjamin and Sara soon found themselves walking along the riverside. Trees lined the walkway, paths lead into a park with several soccer fields, and a large white building rose above the trees. The smell of a barbeque filled the air with the strong smell of steak and burgers, the exhaust from the boats seemed tiny by comparison.

Suddenly a low rumble shook the earth beneath their feet, followed by a loud explosion. A huge dark object rose into the air, casting a large black shadow over the city. A thunderous roar echoed through the city, screams of panic followed.

"What…what…what is that?" Sara stuttered as she stared at the object in the sky.

"I don't know," replied Benjamin, unable to look away.

Another roar shook the city and object landed on the tallest building in the area. Slowly its head rose up, exposing its chest. Suddenly with tremendous speed, as if to roar, the creature's head snapped downward. Two faint lines came out of the mouth and in an instant, a raging torrent of fire engulfed the street below. Screams, cries, and then silence filed the air. Dark smoke rose into the sky and people scrambled to get away. All of a sudden several more explosions rocked the city.

Sara pulled Benjamin into a tight embrace and began to cry. Benjamin tried to comfort her but it was no use, she continued to cry. Suddenly a blast of wind struck them, then again. The sound of heavy flapping followed each blast of air. Both Benjamin and Sara turned their gaze towards the river and slowly upward.

A long thick tail touched the water's surface, midway up, a thin membrane formed and widened until it reached the body, spreading to both legs. The bulky legs of pure muscle ended in long clawed feet. The broad body, a little thin, supported massive bat like wings, creating massive gusts of wind. The hide of the creature, covered in large scales, was a very dark grey. The shoulders were wide, the muscles rippled with the slightest movement. A downward flap of the wings revealed long rows of ridges running down each side of the back and along the spine. The body went from broad to narrow as a long neck protruded upward into the sky. Long scales acted like armor plating, running the width of the throat. Atop the neck sat a large triangular head, three long spikes ran along each side and curved outward at the back of the head. Long dagger like teeth filled the gaping maw. Large red eyes, pupils growing and shrinking as they tried to adjust to the light, lay fixated on the two humans. Suddenly the creature's head rose higher into the sky, its chest expanding .

"Run!" Benjamin shouted and began to run, pulling Sara behind him. A large stream of flames splashed against the ground and quickly followed them down the path, burning all the nearby brush. Sara soon took the lead, forcing Benjamin to run faster.

"In here!" She said and pulled him towards the heart of the park.

They started crossing a field and soon the flames subsided. Halfway across the field a massive gust of wind struck them, causing Sara to fall to the ground. Suddenly the massive creature let out another torrent of flame, surrounding the two in a wall of fire ten meters tall. The creature disappeared behind the wall of fire and soon the earth shook slightly. A dark shape rippled in the flames and soon a large two-fingered wing reached through the blaze. Before long, the entire animal stood in front of them, the head towering several meters above Benjamin and Sara. A low deep hiss vibrated through the air.

Sara slowly stood up and embraced Benjamin tightly, crying on his shoulder. He tried his best to comfort her as the beast started inhaling deeply. Suddenly the crackle of gunfire filled the air and an icy blast of cold water soon followed, putting out the flames.

"Get out of there!" A voice shouted over the crackle of the guns. "Hurry! Run!"

The animal roared in furry as the cold water prevented it from using its flames. Sara began to run to their rescuers. Benjamin took a second to react but soon followed. Suddenly the creature managed to clear its head of the water and let out a massive inferno catching the fire truck it its crosshairs. A second wall of flame cut Benjamin off from the remaining people, several screaming in pain from the burns. The creature quickly turned its attention back to Benjamin and slowly moved between him and the flames.

"Go away!" Benjamin yelled at the creature. Suddenly he realized what the animal was or at least looked like…_A Dragon_.

The dragon turned its head slightly and let out a large stream of flames blocking any chance of escape. Benjamin noticed two liquids that came out of either side of the animal's mouth, combining to create the flame. Several more explosions rocked London and several deep roars thundered out of the city's heart. The dragon stood in front of Benjamin and began to inhale deeply, exposing its chest. Suddenly the dragon snapped its head forward, its gaping maw only meters from Benjamin. Every detail in its mouth was visible. A deafening roar escaped the throat of the dragon. Benjamin covered his ears, trying to block out the sound but to no avail.

Suddenly a low grown came from deep within the dragon and a clear liquid escaped its throat, covering Benjamin. His black shirt clung to his body as if glued and his jeans darkened. Benjamin screamed in pain as the liquid burned his skin. For several long minutes, it burned him until the pain abated and the substance disappeared, though he felt sick. The dragon lowered its head until it looked Benjamin in the eyes. With a low growl the dragon took to the skies, dozens of smaller dragons flocked to its side, and soon they were gone. Suddenly a wave of dizziness overcame Benjamin and he collapsed to his knees then fell unconscious.


	2. Changes

Reign of Fire: A New Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Reign of Fire.

Chapter 2: Changes

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Benjamin suddenly awoke, a cold sweat drenched his numb body and his head hurt. A chill ran through his spine as he faintly felt the cold material beneath him.

A light breeze carried the faint smell of smoke past Benjamin's nose and he slowly opened his eyes. The world was blurry at first then it slowly came into focus. He was in a large cave, or at least it looked like one. He glanced around, he was on the ground, several candles sat to his right, and two blankets lay pile off to his left.

With a groan, Benjamin slowly sat up. He gasped as a wave of pain shot down his back.

"Benjamin you're awake," a female voice called to him.

He turned his head to see Sara wrap her arm around him. "Hi Sara," Benjamin said. His voice was raspy and dry.

"We thought you where dead when we saw you lying on the ground," Sara said softly.

"We," Benjamin questioned and pulled back. He looked into her blue eyes. "Who else is here?"

Sara smiled, "Your brother."

"Christopher, where is he?" Benjamin asked. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Right here," a deep voice said from the left. "I can't chat for long. The reserve is needed in London to get rid of those…beasts."

Benjamin looked to his brother. He was tall. He wore his green camouflage gear, part of it burnt, a rifle hung from his shoulder and a pistol from his side. His dusty brown hair, cut to military regulations, stuck out from a helmet.

"What happened," Benjamin asked, he suddenly felt dizzy.

"Well, that beast flew away with some others. We put out the fire and found you unconscious in the center." Christopher stated. "The beasts came back and we had to flee, most of the people with us were carried way or burned to death." Benjamin found it strange how his brother could keep a clam tone while describing what happened. "Sara here said she knew of some caves that could keep us safe for some time until those things were exterminated."

"Now, I have something to ask you something Ben," Sara said in a soft sweet tone. "We heard you screaming while the fire was being put out, what happened when we couldn't see you?"

"The creature I think is a dragon." Benjamin exclaimed and coughed dryly. "It shot flames around me to stop me from escaping I think. Then it roared right in my face before some kind of liquid came out of its mouth and covered me. I was screaming because it burned." He shivered, remembering how much it hurt, a tear formed at the corner of his eye but he quickly blinked it away. "I blacked out after."

"Dragons? It spit on you?" Sara asked, an expression of disgust crossed her face and she felt her arms.

"You were completely dry when we found you." Christopher added. "It didn't seem like it spit anything on you."

Ben shifted slightly, another wave of pain raced down his spine and through his shoulders. "Do you have something to kill the pain I'm in?"

A loud horn blasted outside the cave. "Hurry up Christopher. They just destroyed the parliament building!"

"I have to go," Christopher said and raced past Sara and Ben towards the entrance to the cave, about thirty meters away. "I'll tell mother where you are when I see her."

"Tell her to bring a doctor," Sara shouted and sat next to Ben.

Both were quiet as the vehicle outside speed away. The sound faded and silence filled the area. Benjamin looked at Sara. Her blond hair hung down to her shoulders and hid her eyes. She wore blue jeans with a red t-shirt.

"Thank you," Sara said to break the silence.

"Thank you?" Benjamin questioned. "What did I do?"

"You pulled me away from the thing before it killed us." Sara said and leaned against Ben's shoulder. She started to cry.

"What's wrong," Ben questioned and turned to face Sara, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

"I was so scared," Sara cried.

"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine," Ben reassured and placed one hand on her back.

A jolt of pain coursed through Benjamin's body. For a brief moment, his vision became clearer than ever, several objects close up seemed to have a white outline. He could hear the distant vehicle his brother was in and smell the exhaust. He gasped and everything became normal again. A massive crippling wave shot through his body and he collapsed to the ground, his back arched and he inhaled heavily.

"Benjamin!" Sara shouted, though it seemed like a distant echo.

The world spun and blended before his eyes, and then suddenly, everything became clear again. His hearing became more sensitive and Sara's shouting became extremely painful. He could smell things he did not recognize and things nowhere near them.

"Sara," Benjamin said as the pain subsided. "I'm ok."

"What happened," she said in tears. "You just dropped to the ground."

"I don't know for sure but my back hurts," Ben said, blinking his eyes repeatedly see if they would change. "My eyesight increased."

"What," Sara questioned between sobs.

"I don't know how, but my eyesight got better," Benjamin said excitedly. "And my hearing and smell."

Sara shook her head. "Where's a doctor when you need one," she sighed and stopped crying, brushing away her tears with her arm. "Did you hit your head?"

"No," Benjamin said and winced as a jolt shot down his right arm. He grabbed his wrist and pulled it close to his chest, squeezing it as hard as he could, trying to stop the pain. "Do you have any pain killers?"

"No," Sara said and gently placed he hand on his arm, it felt extremely dry. "Where does it hurt?"

He winced again and suddenly the pain went away, "It's gone."

"What is?"

"The pain, it just…it's just gone." Ben replied stunned. He let go of his arm and relaxed.

Sara suddenly gasped. "B…B…Ben, l…look at you arm."

"Why?"

Sara pointed at his wrist.

Ben slowly turned his gaze down and as soon as it came into focus, he gasped. His skin had turned grey and scaly around the center of his wrist. His body trembled. "What…what's happening?"

Sara back away several meters from Ben while still sitting, "I don't know, but if that thing spit on you, I bet it had something to do with that. I heard that radiation can cause mutations so maybe it's radioactive."

"Radioactive," Benjamin stuttered. "I'm a dead man."

"Maybe not," Sara comforted. "Maybe it isn't radiation at all and you're just having an allergic reaction to something, either way, just stay over there incase its infectious."

"You already touched me," Ben pointed out.

"Still, I don't want to take another chance if it is something contagious." Sara said and pulled her knees to her chest. "I hope you'll be ok."

A low rumble sounded through the cave. "What was that?"

"What was what," Sara questioned and looked around.

"I heard something," Ben stated. "I was some kind of low rumble."

"Well," Sara said. "I don't know what you are talking about."

A heavy flap sounded from outside the cave. Sara turned her head to see rocks fall from the roof. She started to shake when a tail dropped down from the roof.

Benjamin winced as claws scraped against the rock above. He quickly got up and pulled Sara to her feet. They moved further into the cave and hid behind a large bolder.

"One of those things is here," Sara whispered.

"Shhh," Benjamin put a finger to his mouth. A thud outside the cave made his heart jump.

A low hiss sounded form outside the cave and some of the light disappeared. A dark shadow fell upon the rock. A thud sounded in the cave as the creature slowly entered. The little light of the candles extinguished as the animal exhaled heavily.

Sara trembled with fear, and smelt of it. The smell struck Ben as strong and he shook his head in a vain attempt to get rid of it.

Everything became quiet and a shadow fell over the two. Ben and Sara slowly looked up, above the boulder, the head of the creature sat only a few meters above them. Sara started to cry and looked down. The creature opened its mouth and began to inhale. Ben covered Sara and used himself as a shield. He closed his eyes.

The creature stopped inhaling. Both Sara and Ben braced themselves for the flame, but it never came. Ben slowly worked up the nerve to look up.

The head of the creature, slightly tilted, stared down at them. Suddenly, it dropped down and grabbed Ben. Benjamin screamed as he lifted into the air, he kicked his legs and hit the snout of the animal. Sara began to scream and tried to pull Ben down but only lifted into the air herself. She was too scared to let go.

The creature slowly backed out of the cave but stopped short of leaving. It dropped Ben to the ground and he landed on top of Sara. Sara groaned and pushed Ben of her. A low hiss caused both to scramble to their feet. Ben looked down to see he was unharmed.

The creature stared at them for a moment and lowered its head to look Benjamin in the eye. Ben stepped in front of Sara.

"Go away!" Sara cried.

A heavy snort silence Sara and rustle Ben's dark brown hair. The creature slowly turned its head side to side as if examining Ben.

"It's not the one that attacked us in London," Benjamin whispered to Sara.

"How do you know that?" Sara questioned, enjoying that she was not right in front of the thing.

"It looks different somehow," Ben said and froze as the snout touched his chest. He could feel a faint heart beat through the scaly hide.

"What is it doing," Sara cried. "Why won't it just kill us and get it over with."

Suddenly the creature pulled out of the cave and looked to the sky. It let out a low roar.

Benjamin felt that he almost understood it. "I don't think it's going to kill us."

"How do you know that? It could just be calling its friends to share us as some kind of a snack."

Ben just looked at Sara and turned his attention back to the cave entrance to see that the creature had lain on a rocky ridge outside the cave. It watched both Ben and Sara.

Sara slowly moved deeper into the cave while Ben stood watching the creature. Suddenly he felt dizzy and sick; he dropped to his hands and knees. Sara rushed over and put her hand on his back.

"Ben, what's wrong?" Sara asked and looked up to see the creature turn its head away.

"I think I'm going to be…" Benjamin started and suddenly threw up. As soon as the clear liquid hit the ground it combusted and both Sara and Ben jumped back.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Sara shouted as she looked at the burning liquid. She moved a short distance away from Ben. "It burst into flames!"

"I…I…don't know," Ben said horrified. "I think I'm going to be sick again," he put his hand over his mouth but quickly moved it away.

"Don't do it by me," Sara freaked and moved further away. "I don't want to be lit on fire."

Benjamin turned away just in time. It came out in almost a spray, two separate parts. The two liquids combusted only meters from his body. Tears rolled down his cheek as a wave of pain ran through his spine. Finally, the two liquids stopped and he felt better.

"What's happening to me," Benjamin dropped to the ground. The creature outside looked into the cave and its eyes widened slightly.

Benjamin felt his fingers stiffen. He lifted his hands in front of his face to see his ring finger, little finger, and middle finger extend outward and bend at awkward angles as they grew. Thin webbing formed between his index finger and thumb as they thickened and small black claws grew outward. A surge of pain caused Ben to roll over so that he laid face down on the cold stone floor. The pressure inside his shoes began to increase until they split in two and out of shredded socks, three clawed toes stuck out.

He gasped for air as his face and neck started to change. His face extended into a snout and his hair fused into horns extending backward. His ears fused against his skull and his jawbone extended outward slightly. His neck extended and he let out a scream of pain. It soon became a roar.

The tears ceased to form and instead he whimpered. Benjamin let out a roar as the remainder of his body began to change quickly, his shirt ripped open as his scaled chest expanded with new muscles used for flight and webbing formed from the elongated finger tips to hips, his pant legs split as muscles became thicker and a tail sprouted from his body. Two spines stuck out of the tail and the webbing attached to it and continued down the tail some ways. Short spiny bumps grew from his back, shoulders and neck. Finally, Benjamin dropped to the ground, his body stung and his head ached.

"Benjamin," Sara asked, terror filled her voice.

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Author Note: I finally updated this story. Now, I would like to thank LadyLuck22, a friend of mine that gave me the idea for this story. Please Review. 


	3. Transformation

Reign of Fire: A New Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Reign of Fire.

Chapter 3: Transformation

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Benjamin's body shook with pain. A loud screaming seemed distant and faint but its source was Sara. A sudden wave of pain caused him to let out a roar that shook the ground beneath. He attempted to stand once more but his muscles became heavy and he hit the floor with a slight thud. His eyes closed.

What happened to him, his body felt weird and his senses were confusing to him. Strange smells filled the air, one in particular, it was of Sara, or at least it seemed to be. How could he smell her at this distance though, she did not wear perfume. Why did he hurt so much? Maybe Sara was right, maybe he was loosing his mind.

The screaming became louder until he could hear it clearly. Benjamin slowly opened one eye to see Sara backed against the wall of the cave. Her face was pale and face streaked with tears. It took him a moment to focus for some reason.

"Sara," he said weakly, so much so that he was not sure she could understand him, let alone he could not understand it himself. He staggered to his feet, using his hands stay up.

She pressed herself against the wall. She suddenly turned her head to the entrance of the cave. A heavy flap sounded. Benjamin turned to look at the creature. Its great wings spread out and it took to the skies. A fierce roar caused Benjamin to pull his head back. The sound was painfully loud.

He felt something, something rough against the underside of his jaw. He slowly turned his head and nearly choked on his breath. His body was no longer that of a human but that of a beast. His arms were wings, his body scaled and rough, from each of his toes short black claws stuck out, and protruding out behind him was a long tail. Though his size was much smaller than that of the other creature, he was the length of large truck and slightly taller.

His breath came in shallow, raspy gasps. His eyes went out of focus and then back. He moved his fingers but he quickly stopped as it hurt to do so.

He heard a sobbing. His attention instantly turned to Sara. No wonder she was screaming and in tears, he had become a beast, a monster like those that burned London. She was just as scared of him as he was of himself.

A crippling pain shot through his body and forced him to the ground. The flapping of wings faded into the distance and only Sara's cries remained.

Benjamin forced his eyes open and turned his head to look at Sara. He laid his head gently on the ground facing towards her. All he could think was that he has lost his humanity. He was now a beast, an animal, nothing more. Even worse would be how his family would react, probably just as Sara was now. He made a soft whimper.

"Benjamin," he heard through Sara's muffled sobs.

"Sara," he replied more clearly but it came out as a soft growl. "Sara, it's me."

"Benjamin," Sara sobbed. She sank to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. She covered her face.

"Sara," Benjamin tried to stand but could not, so he crawled towards her. It was slow with the new functions of his arms and legs had to work with, and then there was the tail that dragged on the ground behind him. The claws did not help the situation. They only got in his way. He stopped a few meters away from Sara and set his head down.

Pain ran up his back. He whimpered and closed his eyes. The area became quiet. Benjamin slowly opened his eyes to see Sara staring at him. Her tears had stopped and her crying became shallow, raspy breaths.

"Sara," Benjamin moved forward slightly. Sara gasped and pushed herself tightly against the wall.

"Go away," she cried.

Benjamin forced himself forward enough so that his head gently bumped into her feet. He made a soft unthreatening growl though he did not know how he did it.

"Benjamin," Sara questioned in a frightened tone. "Is…is…is that you Benjamin," she stuttered.

"Yes," he replied. He saw a tremor go through her body. The he realized that he could not speak English but instead it came out as some kind of growl. He lifted his head, gently pressed what felt like a snout to her knees, and lightly moved it up and down.

"Ben is that truly you?" She sobbed.

Again, Benjamin rubbed against her.

"How," she questioned in a softer, slightly relaxed tone. She suddenly turned her head away, tears streamed down her face. "This is stupid, it can't be Ben, it's an animal," Sara mumbled to herself. She turned away from Benjamin so that her left shoulder touched the wall as well as her head.

"Sara," Ben said in somewhat disbelief. She saw what happened did she not, how could she not know it was he.

Benjamin tightly touched his snout to her side and slowly moved his body closer. He managed to use his arms to push his chest off the ground.

Sara turned her head to look at him. "Is it really you Benjamin?"

He slowly pulled his head back and nodded.

With a shaky hand, Sara slowly reached out and touched his head. Benjamin let her do so and tilted his head down so that her hand moved up to his brow. He sighed, she trusted him now, he hoped.

He felt her hand slowly moved to the side of his head and stop just below his eye. Suddenly, she embraced him in a tight hug that gave him some trouble breathing. He gently turned his head and felt what seemed to be horns brush against his neck. Sara had her arms wrapped tightly against his neck and she was crying heavily. If he could cry, he would be as well. Instead, he felt a deep sinking feeling in his chest that only became worse.

Benjamin slowly pulled away from her and laid himself back on the ground because he was too sore to hold himself up for much longer. He kept his head elevated enough so that Sara could touch his snout without bending over.

Sara continued to cry but slowly moved between Benjamin's neck and his stretched out right wing. She sat down slowly and leaned against his shoulder. She rested her head against his shoulder but not high enough to touch the spiny bumps.

Ben curled his neck around so that he could see her and his body. It made him ill to think that this is what he now looked like and nothing could change that most likely.

"Ben," Sara sobbed softly. Benjamin turned his head more so that he could see her better. "Is that really truly you, I mean, one moment you were a person and now…your…this."

Ben slowly lifted his head and nodded. He set it down again and snorted, rustling Sara's hair. He moved his right arm in short jerks until it toughed his head. It surrounded Sara almost protectively. The webbing that covered his wings looked like a dome with his arm bent.

Benjamin shifted uncomfortably and Sara started to shake. He shifted until his wing membrane encased her in a warming dome that let little light in. He slipped his head under and he felt Sara's soft touch. He slowly closed his eyes. He was tired but at least the pain was beginning to abate. He felt Sara place her head against his stomach and soon he fell asleep.


	4. Pains of Life

Reign of Fire: A New Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Reign of Fire.

Chapter 4: Pains of Life

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Author Note: Please Review. Any suggestions, comments or ideas about this story are welcome.

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Benjamin awoke suddenly, his head throbbed and stomach burned as if it were ablaze. He slowly opened his eyes in hope that all he had been through was only a dream, a nightmare. Then he saw it, the scaled snout that was the end of his head. He moaned.

How could this be possible, a human become a beast? His thoughts soon turned to his family and what they might react to seeing him. What would his brother think let alone his mom? Then there was Sara, she was his best friend besides Quinn. What did she think of him now? How could he ask her? She could not understand him. They had no way to communicate.

He felt a slight movement on his side. Benjamin slowly lifted his wing to see that Sara was starting to stir. It was strange to have wings Benjamin thought as he watched Sara sleeping. They had different motions than that of a human arm but yet it seemed almost similar.

Ben glanced at the entrance of the cave to see that it was night. The stars were out in full bloom, dotting the night sky in their luminous glow. Trails of thick black smoke drifted from the direction of where he believed London to be or possibly another poor place set ablaze by the creatures.

Where could his brother be? What if something had happened to him and his mother, what could he do? The army would shoot him on sight and even if he could reach his family, his mother could never care for him like this. How could she love him now? He was as good as dead to them.

A small shriek caused Benjamin to lift his wing to look at Sara. She was deathly pale and in a heavy sweat. Her body trembled with a fear that Benjamin seemed to be able to smell.

"Benjamin?" she stuttered. When Ben nodded, she seemed to relax slightly, though it was not by much.

Benjamin moved his wing so that Sara could stand up but she remained sitting against his side. If only he could speak to her, if only to comfort her, to tell her everything would be alright, but he could not. He felt useless, he was useless.

A gunshot echoed from the distance. Benjamin looked to the entrance. He saw nothing. He quickly looked to Sara. She seemed to have not heard it. Two more gunshots followed and then a steady stream from some type of machinegun.

Benjamin looked at Sara once more. She still did not seem to hear it. A loud roar not far outside the cave caught her attention though. She pressed herself tightly against Benjamin's side.

Benjamin looked out the entrance to see a massive pair of wings push down. A creature had been perched on the top of the cave the entire they were asleep. What had it been doing there? In the distance, more gunshots rang out and a second creature rose into the air. There were two of them!

"Ben," Sara shrieked.

Benjamin quickly looked to Sara and then back to the entrance where the two animals were circling in the distance. He had to see what they were after. Benjamin staggered to his feet causing Sara to flee to a large boulder to hide from view.

Ben stumbled as he made his way to the entrance. His wings made it so that his movements were awkward and slow. His legs were short and hard to control while using his arms to balance himself. The long black claws that ended each of his toes only made the situation worse.

As he reached the entrance to the cave, Benjamin saw what the two creatures were circling. An army jeep swerved wildly on the ground. A constant flashing of light came from the back which Benjamin believed to be the machinegun. Somehow he could see that there were at least four people in the vehicle though who, he could tell not.

With a terrifying shriek, one of the circling creatures dove towards the jeep and let loose and torrent of flame. The fire only grazed the jeep but it was enough to catch several parts and start them on fire.

Benjamin felt an odd sensation. He felt attracted to where the two animals tormented the humans. He felt drawn to them.

Suddenly, a sharp pain in his stomach brought his thoughts to where he was. It was an unquestionable pain, he needed to eat.

"Benjamin?" Sara called out from within the cave.

Benjamin looked back and saw that Sara was shaking nervously and pointing at something. Ben pulled back into the cave and looked to where Sara was pointing. A large tail hung just in view from the ceiling, it was another creature.

Where had they come from? Benjamin cursed them in his mind. They were everywhere and they were destroying everything! An explosion caught Benjamin's attention. He looked to where he had last seen the jeep. A small mushroom cloud rose above a pile of rubble that was left of the jeep. Several shots that seemed to have come from a gun sounded as numerous more smaller explosions rocked the debris.

Despair filled Benjamin as he thought about the poor people who died in that vehicle. Then he saw something that appeared to be movement out of the rubble. Even in the twilight darkness, it seemed he could see more defined than he could during the day.

In the skies above, the circling creatures began to descend for the kill. He could not watch and do nothing as they killed that man. Benjamin heard a voice he knew all to well come from the man as he cursed the animals above him. It was his brother, Christopher.

Benjamin raced forward. He had to stop them! He had to save his brother! The distance between him and his brother was at least a mile but he had to make it. The life of his brother depended on it.

The creatures were close to his brother, within their range of breathing fire. Ben however was only a quarter of the way there. Suddenly, he felt himself thrown to the ground with tremendous force. He roared as a heavier body forced him to the ground.

"Christopher!" Ben yelled as he struggled to free himself from his attacker.

The world seemed to slow as Benjamin watched in horror as one of the circling creatures unleashed a torrent of flame upon his brother. Christopher's shrill screams came to an abrupt end as his body was engulfed in flames and incinerated.

Benjamin felt as if his blood was boiling. His breathing seemed to stop and his body stiffened in pure concentrated anger. A single thought ran through his mind, revenge!

With a sudden thrust of his back, Benjamin pushed the creature holding him to the ground beside him. Benjamin quickly lashed out in all directions with his claws, catching the wing and unprotected underarm of his attacker's right arm.

The creature howled with agony as it collapsed to one side in a spasm of muscles twitches. As the creature attempted to stand, Benjamin rammed it with an anger that was unparalleled in his life. Benjamin unconsciously inhaled deeply and let loose an inferno of flames that engulfed the creature's head. When he was done, the creature lay dead and Benjamin sank to one side out of exhaustion.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air as Benjamin looked upon the carcass of the creature. It was only about twice as along as he was but with a stronger build. Blood pooled under the gaping wound created by Benjamin while the shredded pieces of wing dangled freely from what little held them to the arm.

Two shrieks turned Benjamin's attention back to the jeep. The two circling animals were flying away. Benjamin took the chance to make his way to the jeep. As he grew closer, the smell of burning human flesh filled the air. It was a putrid odor that made Benjamin gag.

His brother's body lay only a few feet from the smoldering rubble. His charred form was only distinguished by the melted rifle and blackened helmet. His heart felt as if it dropped that moment. He wanted to cry but could not.

A small glint caught his attention. It had come from beneath the hood of the jeep and seemed to be covering another body. Benjamin moved closer and pulled away the hood.

"Mother?"

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	5. Moving on

Reign of Fire: A New Beginning

Reign of Fire: A New Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Reign of Fire.

Chapter 5: Moving on

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Author Note: I hope that more people will review in further chapters.

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Benjamin felt the feeling leave his body. He sank to the ground. His mother was dead, gone…forever. Her image was perfect even in death. The fire dared not touch her. Her cloths were not even singed.

He wanted to cry but it came out a roar, long and deep telling of his pain. He was alone in the world his family was gone. The fear she felt before she died tormented his mind and would for the rest of his life. What if she had seen him, a monster like those that caused his brothers death?

Ben's arm trembled as he reached down and picked up his mother's limp body in his claws. The trip was slow and painful as Ben made his way back to the cave where Sara remained. He wanted to bury her somewhere where she would not be disturbed. Somewhere in the cave would have to do, there was no other place she would be safe and he could not bring himself to use his fire on her.

The sky crackled overhead as a heavy downpour drenched the land in an unforgiving torrent. The stars lay hidden by a blackened sky of smoke and ash. Lightning flashed above Benjamin but he took no notice. His mother was dead and nothing would change that fact. Distant calls of the monsters that destroy his life filled him with rage. He wanted to see them all dead, every last one of them!

"Benjamin?" Sara called hesitantly from the cave's entrance.

Ben looked up and nodded then twisted his arm so that Sara could see what had happened. Sara covered her mouth and looked as if she were trying to hide the fact she was crying. Sara had not been close with Benjamin's mother but she knew her well enough that it hurt to have lost her. Made worse by the fact Ben's family was now gone.

"Sara," Ben said knowing full well she could not understand him.

"Is she…" Sara asked, not sure if she was in fact dead.

He nodded only for as response and moved to the edge of the cave, laying her body lightly against the wall. Ben shook the water from his hide and tucked his head under his wing as he lay on the cold stone surface. He felt Sara's soft touch to his shoulder but did not want to look.

"Ben," Sara spoke softly, "I'm very sorry. I think she didn't suffer and that her last thoughts were probably about seeing you. She would have loved to be with you even like this."

Ben looked up. Her words had only made him feel worse but at least she tried to make him better. Ben slowly touched his snout to her, he could smell her fear momentarily but then it eased. "I wish you could understand me."

"Do you want me to help you bury her," Sara said uneasily. "It's just I don't want one of those things to come and take her way, she deserves a lot more than that."

He looked into her eyes and nodded slowly. Ben stood and gently picked up his mother's body. He moved towards the back of the cave. Sara walked by his side, occasionally placing her hand on his wing in an attempt to comfort him. They reached the back and Ben scratched at the ground, it was solid rock. He began to feel around for a soft area but found none.

"I think we'll just have to cover her in stones," Sara suggested but received no response.

Ben turned his body as if to look out the cave and with a hard smash of his tail he broke part of the cave and exposed the soft earth hidden behind its walls. Parts of the cave continued to rattle. Several large rocks broke free of the ceiling and shattered upon the ground with a tremendous crash. Ben took no notice and instead began to rip out the earth behind. He quickly found a rock layer not far into the earth. The hole was large enough however to hold his mother's body and it seemed that he could hide her from anything poking around in the cave.

With a gentle touch, Ben laid the body within the hole and felt his heart sink. She was truly gone. All he had left is Sara. His best friend and he was a monster like those that slaughtered his family. He cursed their very existence and hoped they would all die a slow death for what they had done to him!

Sara moved underneath Ben and placed her head upon his chest. She was crying. Ben looked down and felt his sorrow deepen. He lightly touched his clawed hand to her back but seeing the claws made him feel even worse. Slowly, Benjamin turned his attention to the grave and he placed the dirt back into the hole before sealing it with stone.

"May she rest in peace," Sara said softly. She moved away from the area and towards the little supplies that remained.

Ben looked at the jagged edge of the tomb and felt there was one thing he could do to ensure she remained undisturbed. He inhaled deeper than he had ever done and opened his mouth. A stream of liquid shot out of his mouth and burst into flames. The fire scorched the stone and turned it red. At last the rock began to melt and fuse sealing the spaces solidifying the wall once more.

Ben stopped and looked at Sara. She nodded in agreement that it was the right thing to do. His heart eased slightly but a crippling wave of pain shot though his body and brought him to the ground.

"Ben!" Sara shrieked and rushed to his side. She grabbed hold of his neck and hugged him. "What's wrong?"

"I-I-I don't know," Ben growled. Sara backed away. Ben realized how it must have sounded. Another wave pulsed through his form and he realized what it was, hunger. He pointed at his stomach the best he could and it seemed to work, she knew what it was about.

"Uh…You aren't having thoughts about eating me…right?" Sara said hesitantly.

He shook his head and then laid himself down by the entrance of the cave. He stared out into the pouring rain as hunger still rocked his body. He could hear the distant monsters, grounded by the lightning overhead. Their calls and roars, he could almost understand, if he were closer, he could. They he remembered the two that escaped, they must have told the others. Once the lightning stopped, they would come for him, he had to leave before they did, not in fear for his life but Sara's.

Ben looked at Sara. She was leaning against the wall of the cave. He had to speak to her, somehow. Ben looked around. Perhaps he could write to her, at least he should still be able to do that. He noticed a small bush along the outer edge of the cave. It would have to do. He walked over to it and using his teeth, ripped it from the ground, roots and all. He realized a fault in his plan. The cave was solid rock and it was unlikely he could find enough dirt in order to show her his massage. With a sigh he looked back to the wall where his mother lay buried. The scorch marks gave him an idea.

With out inhaling, he opened his mouth and let some of the liquid drop onto the bush. He watched as it began to burn and then with a heavy breath he put it out. Ben took one of the burned branches and held it in his mouth the best he could. He hoped it would work. Slowly, he began to drag it alone the cave floor. The burnt end left a visible trail and soon he was able to form letters however sloppy but at least they were legible. Sara notice and began to smile wondering why she had not thought of that. When he finished the letters were very large but he had written "WE HAVE TO LEAVE NOW OTHERS ARE COMING SOON".

Sara's expression turned to fear. "What about the lightning and the rain."

"STAY UNDER ME. I WILL PROTECT YOU" Benjamin wrote and the stick broke.

"Ok," Sara said nervously gathering the supplies and walked slowly until she was underneath his chest. She looked up to see him looking down at her. He nodded and they were off. The rain drenched Benjamin but he didn't mind, it was not cold it actually felt nice against his skin. Ben checked every so often to ensure that Sara was dry and it seemed that his wings offered the most protection. As they reached a hill some ways away, he looked back and felt his heart sink once more. He would never return to the spot again…


End file.
